Gas burner



R. J. SOUCIE Feb. 19, 1963 GAS BURNER Filed March 10, 1958 FIG] INVENTOR. RUSSELL J. SOUCIE 3,077,922 GAS BURNER Russell J. Soacie, St. Joseph, Mich, assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 720,217 2 Claims. (Cl. 158-105) This invention relates to combustion devices and in particular to gas burners.

The principal feature of this invention is the provision of a new and improved gas burner utilizing only primary air premixed with the combustible gas for supporting combustion therein.

Another feature is the provision of such a burner having new and improved main burner and simmer burner sections.

A further feature is the provision of new and improved means for supplying combustible gas and primary air to the burner.

Still another feature is the provision of such a burner having new and improved means for thoroughly mixing the combustible gas and primary air prior to its delivery to the burner.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a burner embodying the invention, with portions of the mixing chambers broken away and with portions of the combustible gas and air supply means connected thereto; and

FIG. 2 is a view thereof partly in section and partly in elevation, and with portions broken away.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, a gas burner comprises a porous burner head 11 carried on a hollow body or enclosure 12. A mid-portion 13 of the burner head comprises a simmer portion thereof. Combustible gas mixed with primary air is delivered to simmer portion 13 through a duct 14 having a mixing chamber 15 spaced from the burner heads.

A second duct 16 communicates at one end with the interior of enclosure 12 to deliver combustible fuel and primary air mixed in a mixing chamber 17 to the main area 18 of burner head 11. An air inlet 19 and a gas inlet 20 are provided to deliver pressurized air and gas to the interior of chamber 15 and a similar air inlet 21 and a gas inlet 22 are provided to deliver pressurized gas and air to the interior of mixing chamber 17.

To ignite the gas within burner 11, a pilot 23 is provided which directs a flame 24 at a side portion 25 of the burner head. Thus, gas passing through the main area 18 of the burner head is ignited by flame 24 and may, in turn, ignite gas passing through mid-portion 13 of the burner head.

More specifically, burner head 11 comprises a porous disc through which the mixed gas and primary air may readily flow but in which the flow passages are sufliciently small and tortuous to preclude a backfiring into enclosure 12 or duct 14. Burner head 11 may be formed of non-glowing material, such as stainless steel or glass, to provide a blue flame burner action in which the heating is effected by convection and direct flame impingement on the element being heated. Alternatively, burner head 11 may be comprised of refractory material which is heated to incandescence by the combustion of the gas therein, and which effects the heating of the overlying element primarily by radiant heat transfer. An example of a refractory burner head suitable for such operation is that disclosed in Bone et al. Patent 1,223,308, issued April 17, 1917.

As alluded to briefly above, enclosure 12 comprises a hollow container in which the combustible gas and primary air mixture are delivered from main duct 16 to pass upwardly through main area 18 of the burner head. Enclosure 12 is provided with an upstanding annular flange 26 which extends about the periphery of burner head 11 except at portion 25 thereof. The lower transverse wall 27 of enclosure 12 is provided with a small opening 28 in the mid-portion thereof through which simmer duct 14 extends to terminate at the under side 29 of burner head mid-portion 13. A second, larger opening 30 is provided in wall 27 and comprises the inlet to the enclosure from main duct 16.

The outlets from mixing chambers 15 and 17 are defined by frusto-conically narrowing walls 15a and 17a, respectively. Each of ducts 14 and 16 are tapered somewhat so as to enlarge toward burner head 11 and away from the mixing chamber outlets. Thus, a venturi structure is formed wherein a thorough mixing of the combustible gas and primary air is effected. In addition to this mixing operation, the combustible gas and primary air are mixed in the respective chamber portions 15 and 17 of the simmer and main duct. As best seen in FIG. 1, air inlet 19 is arranged at right angles to gas inlet 20 in chamber 15, and air inlet 21 is arranged at right angles to gas inlet 22 in chamber 17 whereby the combustible gas and primary air are delivered in perpendicular converging streams within the mixing chambers to provide an improved turbulent mixing of the gas and air. The resultant complete mixing of the gas and air within the mixing chambers and due to the venturi action assures that a proper uniform combustion occurs in burner head 11. As no secondary air (air surrounding the flame) is necessary to support the combustion at burner head 11, the amount of primary air mixed with the gas in chambers 15 and 17 may be made accurately the quantity necessary to provide complete combustion of the gas in the burner, thereby providing maximum etficiency of burner 10.

As described briefly above, the igniting means comprises a pilot device 23 providing a pilot flame 24 which impinges on side portion 25 of the burner head. The pilot means comprises a connector 31 arranged for suitable connection to a gas supply line (not shown) and secured to enclosure 12 by means of a bracket 32. A pilot tube 33 extends from connector 31 to adjacent side portion 25. Thus, it may be seen that flame 24 is arranged to ignite the gas within burner head 11 below the upper surface 34 thereof.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A fluid fuel burner comprising: a continuous and integral porous burner head having a generally planar inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface having a first major portion and a preselected limited second portion surrounded by said first portion; first means including a first duct for delivering air-fuel gas mixture to said major portion of said inner surface of said head; second means including a second duct terminating in contact with said inner surface and defining the periphery of said second surface portion, said second duct means delivering air-fuel gas mixture to only Said preselected limited second portion of said inner surface of said head for delivery therethrough into subsequent contact within said head with the mixture delivered to said first portion from said first duct; and pilot means for igniting air-fuel gas mixture in said head substantially spaced from said second portion for igniting successively Within said head the mixtures delivered to said first portion from said first duct and said second portion from said second duct.

2. A fluid fuel burner comprising: a continuous and integral porous burner head having a generally planar inner surface, said inner surface having a first major portion and a preselected limited second portion surrounded by said first portion; means defining a chamber confronting said inner surface; first means including a first duct for delivering air-fuel gas mixture to said chamber for delivery to said second portion of said inner surface; second means including a second duct extending through said chamber and opening only to said second portion for delivering air-fuel gas mixture directly to only said second portion of said surface for delivery therethrough to diffuse in said head into contact within said head with the mixture delivered thereto from said first duct; and pilot means adjacent one edge of said surface for igniting airfue1 gas mixture in said head at a point spaced substantially from said second portion and thereby igniting successively within said head the mixtures delivered to said first portion from said first duct and said second portion from said second duct.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 784,168 Malin Mar. 7, 1905 1,055,657 Roessler et a1 Mar. 11, 1913 1,074,110 Fyfe Sept. 30, 1913 1,223,249 Bone et a1 Apr. 17, 1917 1,249,366 Fisher Dec. 11, 1917 1,308,364 Lucke July 1, 1919 1,701,500 Keith Feb. 12, 1929 1,839,515 Wetherbee Ian. 5, 1932 1,871,783 Friedman Aug. 16, 1932 2,311,350 Richardson Feb. 16, 1943 2,627,910 Abrams Feb. 10, 1953 2,828,813 Holden Apr. 1, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,095,865 France Dec. 29, 1954 195,073 Austria Jan. 25, 1958 

1. A FLUID FUEL BURNER COMPRISING: A CONTINUOUS AND INTEGRAL POROUS BURNER HEAD HAVING A GENERALLY PLANAR INNER SURFACE AND AN OUTER SURFACE, SAID INNER SURFACE HAVING A FIRST MAJOR PORTION AND A PRESELECTED LIMITED SECOND PORTION SURROUNDED BY SAID FIRST PORTION; FIRST MEANS INCLUDING A FIRST DUCT FOR DELIVERING AIR-FUEL GAS MIXTURE TO SAID MAJOR PORTION OF SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID HEAD; SECOND MEANS INCLUDING A SECOND DUCT TERMINATING IN CONTACT WITH SAID INNER SURFACE AND DEFINING THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SECOND SURFACE PORTION, SAID SECOND DUCT MEANS DELIVERING AIR-FUEL GAS MIXTURE TO ONLY SAID 